Abstract
Studies show that aging is accompanied by decline in cognitive functions but also indicate that interventions, such as training on electronic games, can enhance performance and promote maintenance of cognitive abilities in healthy older adults.ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of an electronic game program, called Actively Station, on the performance of global cognition of adults aged over 50 years.Methods124 mature and elderly adults enrolled in the "Actively Station" cognitive stimulation program of São Caetano do Sul City, in the State of São Paulo, participated in training for learning of electronic games. Participants were divided into two groups: training group (TG) n=102 and control group (CG) n=22. Protocol: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R), the Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q), the scale of frequency of forgetfulness, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), the Global Satisfaction with Life Scale, and two scales on learning in the training.ResultsThe cognitive performance of the TG improved significantly after the program, particularly in the domains of language and memory, and there was a decrease on the anxiety index and frequency of memory complaints, when compared to the CG.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the acquisition of new knowledge and the use of new stimuli, such as electronic games, can promote improvements in cognition and mood and reduce the frequency of memory complaints.
Highlights
The shift in the demographic pyramid reflects the exponential growth of the elderly population worldwide, yet the majority of this contingent tends to feel excluded by the functional declines associated with aging that can affect vision, hearing, self-esteem, motor coordination, short-term memory, concentration and reaction abilities, among others.[1]In general, the younger generation is confident in using technology and assimilates change as, since their early years, they have explored electronic toys and/ or played on mobile phones
The EG consisted of 88 women and 14 men, whereas the control group (CG) contained 17 women and 5 men
The individuals in the training group (TG) and CG were matched for sociodemographic variables
Summary
The younger generation is confident in using technology and assimilates change as, since their early years, they have explored electronic toys and/ or played on mobile phones. The older generation, born before the development of the digital world, has more difficulty accessing these technologies. Some elderly individuals may lack the motor skills needed to competently use digital devices.[1,2,3,4]. Numerous studies have shown that older adults are interested and able to achieve independence in the use of computer games.[2] These investigations reveal that contact with technology can yield benefits such as improved social interaction and mental stimulation.[3,4]
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